Aikman Efficiency Ratings

The Cowboys, with the best record in the NFL at 10-1, remain atop the Aikman Combined Ratings compiled by STATS for the fourth consecutive week after their Thanksgiving Day win over Washington. Dallas also is first in Aikman Offense for the third straight week.

The team behind them in both categories is the 6-6 Saints. That New Orleans has a powerful offense is no surprise with the Drew Brees-led attack either first or second in four (3rd down conversions, 1st downs, offensive points, red-zone efficiency) of the seven Aikman Offense categories. With an 18th-ranked Aikman defense, they also have enough points to rank 2nd in the tightly-bunched Aikman Combined standings.

With the Cardinals being torched by the Falcons, the Ravens returned to 1st in Aikman Defense after a one-week absence. It is the third straight week that Baltimore and Arizona have alternated for the top spot.

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The NFL’s three teams with 9+ wins sit in the top six of the current Aikman Combined, and they are joined by three teams – the Saints, Titans and Steelers – currently hovering near .500 in the standings.

The teams leading those three clubs’ respective divisions – Atlanta, Houston and Baltimore – currently rank below them in the Aikman Combined and it will be interesting to see if New Orleans, Tennessee and Pittsburgh put on the strong finishes that their Aikman Combined Ratings scores indicate are possible.

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Troy Aikman developed the Aikman Ratings because he noticed that while the NFL ranks offenses and defenses strictly by yards, the factors that actually win games can go far beyond just total real estate gained.

Team winning the yardage battle traditionally win about 65% of all games (this year it is just 60%). After a 14-2 mark in Week 12, the teams with the higher Aikman Game Score are winning 77% of the time. That’s far superior to the yardage winners, but still below the traditional Aikman average of about 82%.

On Thanksgiving, the Cowboys were involved in a textbook example of the kind of game that gave Aikman concern about the NFL’s simple method of ranking offenses. The Cowboys played turnover-free football, gained 5.4 yards per rush, converted TDs on all four trips to the red zone and beat Washington convincingly, 31-19. But the Redskins piled up 505 yards (many late in the game) to outgain Dallas, 505 to 353, and advance in the NFL’s rankings. The Cowboys had the 2nd-highest Aikman Game Score (111.0) of the week, while the Redskins were 13th (91.1) – a more accurate reflection of the final outcome than yards gained.